The One Surprising Thing Fueling Fast Fashion & Modern Day Slavery. Hint: It's Not What You Think

_We at Yellow Co. are committed to ethical fashion and goods. We try our best to identify key
partners and products that are ethical in their business models and know the factories and hands
behind their product (psst…interested in having your product at our conference? Email
kathryn@yellowconference.com). In light of #fashionrevolutionday
this week, we are super excited to have Yellow Blogger,
Abigail Driscoll, bringing the heart of the issue to light. We
realize there’s no perfect way to live this out-but, in all honesty, it’s our duty as humans and as
Creative Warriors, justice seekers, ground breakers and mountain movers to at least give freedom a
fighting chance. Am I right?! Ok, back to the post (thank you Abigail!)-xoxo Yellow Co. _

In
2006, people were buying one third more clothes than they were in 2002, according to a Cambridge
University study. Women’s closets are now filled with four times as much clothing as they were in
1980. Where there used to be just four main collections of clothing released by brands each year,
one for each season, labels now average about 18 collections a year.

They are producing more clothing at lower prices, as fashion trends change rapidly. You’ve probably
heard about this process, known as “fast fashion,” and it continues to be the model most labels
operate on.

The fast fashion cycle is the reason we have most of our sweatshops around the world.

There is an immense amount of pressure on the supply chain to produce quickly, and factory workers
are the easiest way to cut corners and reduce margins. So we have men, women, and children all over
the world who are working under dangerous conditions, for twelve or more hours a day, earning
pennies so that the latest line of faux leather pants can be put on shelves as fast as possible.

[![2013-11-110007](https://yellow-blog-images.imgix.net/2016/04/2013-11-11_0007.jpg)](https://yellow-blog-images.imgix.net/2016/04/2013-11-11_0007.jpg)At
some point, we have to ask ourselves: _why? Why do we feel it is so crucial to be constantly
changing our wardrobes, keeping up with the latest trends? Why is shopping such an effective
antidote for a bad day? Why is it so embarrassing to be seen in the same outfit twice? As I’ve
started to do more in-depth research on the topic of fast fashion, sweatshops, and modern day
slavery, I have found myself curious about how our culture has come to this point. What exactly is
it that fuels fast fashion? What is my individual role in shaping this consumeristic culture, and
how am I continuing to sustain it?

At some point, we have to ask ourselves: why? Why do we feel it is so crucial to be constantly
changing our wardrobes, keeping up with the latest trends?

I have to confess that a lot of times, it comes from deeper inside myself than I’d like to admit.
It’s easy to brush it off as “fashion is fun!” or “I just like clothes!” or “It’s a way I express
myself!” But the truth is, most of the time, I feel the need to keep up in order to impress others.
I want to look good so that I can feel better about myself. I try to derive my confidence from my
outward appearance, rather than from within myself and my inherent worth as a human being.

The clothes we choose to wear should be an expression of who we already believe we are, instead of an attempt to fill a void or elicit personal value.

Fashion can totally be fun, it can be a creative outlet for us, and it can absolutely be something
that aids our confidence. However, we have to ask ourselves whether we need that confidence so
badly that it’s worth expending the health and livelihood of another human being. Will we believe
the lie of advertising that tells us we are less worthy if we don’t have that outfit or pair of
shoes? Are we secure enough in who we are that we’d be willing to spend more money on less things if
it means those things are made by people working under fair and safe conditions?

the truth is, most of the time, I feel the need to keep up in order to impress others. I want to
look good so that I can feel better about myself. I try to derive my confidence from my outward
appearance, rather than from within myself and my inherent worth as a human being.

I wonder if it’s possible that as we grow in our own personal identities, as we gain confidence from the inside out as powerful, strong, and beautiful women, that it would transform our shopping habits.

I wonder if the way we get dressed in the morning, the way we shop, and the way we shape our culture
might be motivated by our self worth, instead of by envy, competition, or insecurity. Might we
realize that we don’t need a new outfit, accessory, or pair of shoes for every occasion? Might we
believe that the sacrifice is worth it, and that by choosing to stand against fast fashion and
sweatshops, we are not only standing up for our own worth, but also for the worth of women all the
way across the world?

[![2013-11-110010](https://yellow-blog-images.imgix.net/2016/04/2013-11-11_0010.jpg)](https://yellow-blog-images.imgix.net/2016/04/2013-11-11_0010.jpg)Nowadays,
when I’m at the mall and I see a really cute top or bag that would seriously make me feel better
about my day, I stop and make myself remember where my worth comes from. It doesn’t come from a new
outfit or a really _(really) cute pair of boots. It never has and it never will. I also think of
the woman who made that pair of boots and about her worth. I remind myself that our needs, our
freedom, and our worth are linked together.